The tourist department is starting a new luxury train ‘Heritage Palace on Wheel’ from December 22. Tariff of the new luxury train will be more affordable than the Palace on Wheel. It will have two itineraries of three and four days.

Rajasthan minister for tourism (independent charge) Krishnendra Kaur on Wednesday said the state government’s aggressive marketing policy in the tourism sector is paying dividends, as it was evident in the increasing tourist footfall in the state.

“The state government believes that effective marketing campaign among tourists will lead to increased demand for tourism in the state and can speed up the inflow of tourists in Rajasthan. Department has engaged specialist agencies in its promotional initiatives. The result of such efforts of the government is visible in significant increase in tourist arrival in last two years,” said Kaur, while addressing media persons on the completion of four years of the state government, in Jaipur on Wednesday.

The tourist department is starting a new luxury train ‘Heritage Palace on Wheel’ from December 22. Tariff of the new luxury train will be more affordable than the Palace on Wheel. It will have two itineraries of three and four days.

Kaur said the tourism industry has a special significance to Rajasthan’s economy, as it contributes 15% to the state GDP (gross domestic products). She said the government has taken several measures to promote tourism in the state. “In the last four years, development projects worth ₹911.63 crore have been taken up in the state, which includes five projects worth ₹389.34 crore sanctioned under the centrally funded scheme and 173 projects worth ₹522.29 crore under the state plan.

As per the 2016-17 budget announcement, construction of the State institute of Hotel Management in Dholpur, Jhalawar and in Sawai Madhopur has started with the help from the Union government, the minister said. Also, a food craft institute is coming up in Baran and the existing food craft institute in Udaipur is being upgraded as the State Institute of Hotel Management, she added. “After operation of these institutions in the state, a pool of well-trained youth for tourism business will be available in the state, she further added.

Enumerating the department’s achievements, she said Rajasthan and its various products have received about 40 awards in the last 4 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Nihal Chand Goel, the additional chief secretary of the department, said that in the last 4 years, 470 Tourism Unit projects have been approved by the department with a proposed investment of approximately ₹5,565 crore. “We focus more on demand than supply in order to facilitate tourists and for the same we have adopted aggressive marketing campaigns. We are coming up with a mobile application for tourists, making official portal multi-lingual, have started new festivals such as photography, heritage fashion week etc,” said Goel.

In order to provide skilled manpower, Goel said, the government is starting hotel management and food craft institutes. “Soon night tourism will be started at Sisodiya Rani Ka Garden in Jaipur. Our efforts are giving results in comparison to last year; till date tourist footfall has increases by 10.55%,” he claimed.

He said the new luxury train ‘Heritage Palace on Wheel’ will have two itineraries, one of three days (Jaipur- Sawai Madhopur- Agra- Delhi) and the other of four days (Delhi- Churu- Bikaner-Dholpur-Agra-Delhi).